Google to remove first T&A story under controversial 'Right to be Forgotten' ruling

A STORY about a 28-year-old-man who was taken to hospital after being found unconscious in a Bradford street is the first Telegraph & Argus story set to be removed from specific Google searches under the controversial new ‘Right to be Forgotten’ laws.

The search engine notified Newsquest (Bradford), which publishes the T&A, of its intent to 'delete' the story from Google search results yesterday, but did not give reasons why.

The move follows a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling last month which says articles deemed irrelevant or out of date should be wiped from search engine results.

Google started to comply with the ruling yesterday.

The T&A story, published in July 2012, refers to a large police cordon which was set-up in Bradford city centre after the unnamed man was found injured in Manor Row, near its junction with Upper Piccadilly.

It is not known who has applied to Google to have the story removed.

Google has been asked by the T&A to explain its reasons for the removal.

The ruling only affects search engine companies like Google and does not have the power to order newspapers to remove stories, but by deleting a search listing it becomes harder for the public to find stories they are searching for.

The T&A's general policy is not to delete, amend or annotate our archives unless there is an inaccuracy and therefore the story still appears on our website.

Also, as the ruling only applies to Google's operations in Europe, people living elsewhere - can get simply just use the web address Google.com rather than Google.co.uk - to see the 'deleted' search results.

Critics have labelled the ruling by the ECJ as censorship which is open to abuse by criminals and the powerful who will try to hide information from the public.

T&A Editor Perry Austin-Clarke said the ECJ ruling was deeply flawed.

"It is, in reality, an assault on the public’s right to know perfectly legitimate information," he said.

“The problem is that it will be misused by criminals, politicians, celebrities and charlatans to stop the public learning inconvenient or embarrassing information.

“It is an attempt to re-write history. Nothing else, and you can’t just suddenly pretend an event has not happened.

“We often get complaints from convicted criminals that publishing stories about them invades their privacy or is unfair but the simple fact is if they didn’t go out committing crime and appearing in court then there would not be a story.

“We will resist this move to stop you, the public, knowing perfectly legitimate information about people.

“If anything, the Right to be Forgotten, as this ruling has been called, will really become the Right to Censorship."

Comments

Worth noting that this is not Google Nor T&A doing this - it is one of the most stupid EU decisions ever made, which Google are fighting

Worth noting that this is not Google Nor T&A doing this - it is one of the most stupid EU decisions ever made, which Google are fightingShipleyvegas

Worth noting that this is not Google Nor T&A doing this - it is one of the most stupid EU decisions ever made, which Google are fighting

Score: 2

Bone_idle18
4:29pm Thu 3 Jul 14

Can't see any reason anyone would want to remove that from a search engine?

Both named people in the article are just commenting on events! Unless one of them wishes it not known he was in Bradford on that day?

Can't see any reason anyone would want to remove that from a search engine?
Both named people in the article are just commenting on events! Unless one of them wishes it not known he was in Bradford on that day?Bone_idle18

Can't see any reason anyone would want to remove that from a search engine?

Both named people in the article are just commenting on events! Unless one of them wishes it not known he was in Bradford on that day?

Score: 2

Thee Voice of Reason
4:34pm Thu 3 Jul 14

Omar Khan and Bradford Council will be applying to get their £200k loan removed from the records.

Speaking of similar various people are reported on here with regards to upcoming court cases they if the trial is dropped nothing else is mentioned. Seems they are shamed but offer no apology by the paper if thrown out yet their details are there for all to see.

Omar Khan and Bradford Council will be applying to get their £200k loan removed from the records.
Speaking of similar various people are reported on here with regards to upcoming court cases they if the trial is dropped nothing else is mentioned. Seems they are shamed but offer no apology by the paper if thrown out yet their details are there for all to see.Thee Voice of Reason

Omar Khan and Bradford Council will be applying to get their £200k loan removed from the records.

Speaking of similar various people are reported on here with regards to upcoming court cases they if the trial is dropped nothing else is mentioned. Seems they are shamed but offer no apology by the paper if thrown out yet their details are there for all to see.

Score: -1

StevieLad
4:53pm Thu 3 Jul 14

Wait while Abu Qatada and Gary Glitter put in a similar request. Or worse Luis Suarez. Google will have their work cut out then.

And another easy 500 words for every newspaper in Europe. "Something must be done"

Wait while Abu Qatada and Gary Glitter put in a similar request. Or worse Luis Suarez. Google will have their work cut out then.
And another easy 500 words for every newspaper in Europe. "Something must be done"StevieLad

Wait while Abu Qatada and Gary Glitter put in a similar request. Or worse Luis Suarez. Google will have their work cut out then.

And another easy 500 words for every newspaper in Europe. "Something must be done"

Score: -1

Storck
7:53pm Thu 3 Jul 14

Love the fact that all the news agencies are running stories quoting back when they are notified by Google, thus creating new links to the old stories which will not be covered by the original google block.

Love the fact that all the news agencies are running stories quoting back when they are notified by Google, thus creating new links to the old stories which will not be covered by the original google block.Storck

Love the fact that all the news agencies are running stories quoting back when they are notified by Google, thus creating new links to the old stories which will not be covered by the original google block.

Score: 7

linebacker2
8:26pm Thu 3 Jul 14

We would have forgotten about this story - but the "right to be forgotten" has brought it to the fore.....

Am I missing something?

We would have forgotten about this story - but the "right to be forgotten" has brought it to the fore.....
Am I missing something?linebacker2

We would have forgotten about this story - but the "right to be forgotten" has brought it to the fore.....

Am I missing something?

Score: 8

allinittogether
9:22pm Thu 3 Jul 14

Presumably the request will have been from the "unnamed man" or his representatives have the T&A exercised any curiosity and found out who he was? And asked him/them why he wishes the story suppressed?

Presumably the request will have been from the "unnamed man" or his representatives have the T&A exercised any curiosity and found out who he was? And asked him/them why he wishes the story suppressed?allinittogether

Presumably the request will have been from the "unnamed man" or his representatives have the T&A exercised any curiosity and found out who he was? And asked him/them why he wishes the story suppressed?

Score: 2

tinytoonster
10:03pm Thu 3 Jul 14

Google has been asked by the T&A to explain its reasons for the removal.
shame you do not ask bradford council its reasons when they make mistakes!
as already mentioned, the whole khan loan subject!

Google has been asked by the T&A to explain its reasons for the removal.
shame you do not ask bradford council its reasons when they make mistakes!
as already mentioned, the whole khan loan subject!tinytoonster

Google has been asked by the T&A to explain its reasons for the removal.
shame you do not ask bradford council its reasons when they make mistakes!
as already mentioned, the whole khan loan subject!

Score: -3

StevieLad
9:11am Fri 4 Jul 14

Storck wrote…

Love the fact that all the news agencies are running stories quoting back when they are notified by Google, thus creating new links to the old stories which will not be covered by the original google block.

Ha good point!

[quote][p][bold]Storck[/bold] wrote:
Love the fact that all the news agencies are running stories quoting back when they are notified by Google, thus creating new links to the old stories which will not be covered by the original google block.[/p][/quote]Ha good point!StevieLad

Storck wrote…

Love the fact that all the news agencies are running stories quoting back when they are notified by Google, thus creating new links to the old stories which will not be covered by the original google block.

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